Seven-try Brumbies maul Force to march into playoffs

(Reuters) - The ACT Brumbies ran in seven tries, including a hat-trick from flyhalf Matt Toomua, to thump the Western Force 47-25 in their all-Australian Super Rugby clash in Canberra on Friday and book their playoff berth.

The Brumbies climbed to fourth in the table ahead of Waikato Chiefs, who earlier clinched their place on Friday, ending the Perth-based Force's hopes of a maiden knockout appearance.

Toomua crossed the line for the hosts' first two tries and completed his hat-trick with another in the second half while Jesse Mogg, Henry Speight, Joseph Tomane and Tom McVerry also scored for the Brumbies for their seventh straight home win.

The visitors launched a brief fightback in the second half, scoring three tries through Pekahou Cowan, Chris Tuatara-Morrison and Zack Holmes but it was never going to be enough.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly, editing by Tony Goodson)